Alvin woke in a room that was not his, to discover that he had died and his brain had been bargained off cheaply to pay off someone else’s debt. It did not sit well with him. It didn’t surprise him that even in death, people were still using him for their own purposes. He had never exactly been a good guy, but everyone had their breaking point, and he had found his. The bastards in charge had uploaded his mind into a virtual death game. The whole world could now pay to see him play it and probably die. Regardless, he was not about to wait for death to come for him.

2 out of 5 stars

should've saved my money.

By
Miss Kris
on
06-10-2018

Cultivating Chaos

VeilVerse: Cultivating Chaos, Book 1

By:
William D. Arand

Narrated by:
Andrea Parsneau

Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
25

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
23

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
23

Ash led a very normal life by his own standards. Right up until he was literally pulled into a portal that spat him out into another world. One that was full of martial arts. And martial artists who could use magic. Three years of living his life as one of the citizens, those without power, and Ash has figured out how to survive with his adoptive family and a lot of persistence. His goals in life have become to give back to those who gave to him. And he’d do whatever he had to to do that. Except Ash is about to get his life turned around again.

5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

By
Anonymous User
on
15-12-2018

Summoner

By:
Eric Vall

Narrated by:
Joshua Story

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
7

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
7

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
7

Gryff never knew he was the most powerful summoner in the world until a rogue monster attacked his village. Now he's been recruited into the top magical academy, beautiful women are breaking down his dorm-room door, and the headmaster has big, big plans for him. Instead of summoners being maligned by society, Gryff is in a position to make them revered and honored.

2 out of 5 stars

Wish fulfillment central.

By
Xravia
on
17-01-2019

Warrior: Monster Slayer

Monsterworld Saga, Book 1

By:
Sam Ryder

Narrated by:
Soren Gray

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
10

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
9

Story

4 out of 5 stars
10

Sam Ryder's life already sucks, and it's about to get worse when he's fired from his dead-end job as a programmer. He's about to head home to escape into his favorite RPG, Alien Civilization, when he's offered a thrill ride on a death machine by a gorgeous woman straight out of one of his games. Before Sam can say "WTF?", he's been whisked away to a dark world of monsters and goddesses, his body transformed from Outcast to Warrior, the second level on a ladder that may eventually carry him all the way to Demigod.

3 out of 5 stars

Aimed at young guys

By
V. Thurlow
on
17-12-2018

Gamer for Life

Alpha World, Book 1

By:
Daniel Schinhofen

Narrated by:
Peter Berkrot

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
86

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
86

Story

4 out of 5 stars
86

Seamus is facing life in prison without parole. While doing his time, he's given an option by the Department of Justice and the biggest virtual game maker around, Mindblown Entertainment. If he will help them test long-term immersion, he will get the chance to play the latest game from Mindblown - Alpha World. All he has to do is sign away his legal rights and sign an NDA.

1 out of 5 stars

disappointing

By
Anonymous User
on
15-09-2017

The Recruitment Rise of the Free Fleet

By:
Michael Chatfield

Narrated by:
Dan Bittner

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
3

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
3

Story

5 out of 5 stars
3

James Cook was a gamer headed for the biggest gaming match on Earth. Instead the Planetary Defense Force kidnapped him, his team and 20,000 others. Their alien trainers don't care how many of them survive, they only care that they can fight. James Cook was a gamer, but his avatar Salchar, he was a fighter, a leader, and the man the recruits need. James must put his doubts about himself aside, there's no guide to this, no strategy and it's definitely not a game. He will need to become Salchar, with one goal, to protect his people.

Rapture

Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut, Book 1

By:
Daniel Schinhofen

Narrated by:
Andrea Parsneau

Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
36

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
35

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
35

Alvin woke in a room that was not his, to discover that he had died and his brain had been bargained off cheaply to pay off someone else’s debt. It did not sit well with him. It didn’t surprise him that even in death, people were still using him for their own purposes. He had never exactly been a good guy, but everyone had their breaking point, and he had found his. The bastards in charge had uploaded his mind into a virtual death game. The whole world could now pay to see him play it and probably die. Regardless, he was not about to wait for death to come for him.

2 out of 5 stars

should've saved my money.

By
Miss Kris
on
06-10-2018

Cultivating Chaos

VeilVerse: Cultivating Chaos, Book 1

By:
William D. Arand

Narrated by:
Andrea Parsneau

Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
25

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
23

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
23

Ash led a very normal life by his own standards. Right up until he was literally pulled into a portal that spat him out into another world. One that was full of martial arts. And martial artists who could use magic. Three years of living his life as one of the citizens, those without power, and Ash has figured out how to survive with his adoptive family and a lot of persistence. His goals in life have become to give back to those who gave to him. And he’d do whatever he had to to do that. Except Ash is about to get his life turned around again.

5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

By
Anonymous User
on
15-12-2018

Summoner

By:
Eric Vall

Narrated by:
Joshua Story

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
7

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
7

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
7

Gryff never knew he was the most powerful summoner in the world until a rogue monster attacked his village. Now he's been recruited into the top magical academy, beautiful women are breaking down his dorm-room door, and the headmaster has big, big plans for him. Instead of summoners being maligned by society, Gryff is in a position to make them revered and honored.

2 out of 5 stars

Wish fulfillment central.

By
Xravia
on
17-01-2019

Warrior: Monster Slayer

Monsterworld Saga, Book 1

By:
Sam Ryder

Narrated by:
Soren Gray

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
10

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
9

Story

4 out of 5 stars
10

Sam Ryder's life already sucks, and it's about to get worse when he's fired from his dead-end job as a programmer. He's about to head home to escape into his favorite RPG, Alien Civilization, when he's offered a thrill ride on a death machine by a gorgeous woman straight out of one of his games. Before Sam can say "WTF?", he's been whisked away to a dark world of monsters and goddesses, his body transformed from Outcast to Warrior, the second level on a ladder that may eventually carry him all the way to Demigod.

3 out of 5 stars

Aimed at young guys

By
V. Thurlow
on
17-12-2018

Gamer for Life

Alpha World, Book 1

By:
Daniel Schinhofen

Narrated by:
Peter Berkrot

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
86

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
86

Story

4 out of 5 stars
86

Seamus is facing life in prison without parole. While doing his time, he's given an option by the Department of Justice and the biggest virtual game maker around, Mindblown Entertainment. If he will help them test long-term immersion, he will get the chance to play the latest game from Mindblown - Alpha World. All he has to do is sign away his legal rights and sign an NDA.

1 out of 5 stars

disappointing

By
Anonymous User
on
15-09-2017

The Recruitment Rise of the Free Fleet

By:
Michael Chatfield

Narrated by:
Dan Bittner

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
3

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
3

Story

5 out of 5 stars
3

James Cook was a gamer headed for the biggest gaming match on Earth. Instead the Planetary Defense Force kidnapped him, his team and 20,000 others. Their alien trainers don't care how many of them survive, they only care that they can fight. James Cook was a gamer, but his avatar Salchar, he was a fighter, a leader, and the man the recruits need. James must put his doubts about himself aside, there's no guide to this, no strategy and it's definitely not a game. He will need to become Salchar, with one goal, to protect his people.

The Trapped Mind Project

Emerilia, Book 1

By:
Michael Chatfield

Narrated by:
Tristan Morris

Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
58

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
58

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
58

Austin Zane leaves behind his CEO position with RB Corp to play Dave, a half-dwarf in the virtual reality game Emerilia, trying to escape his life. What Dave doesn't know is that Earth as he knows it is really a virtual reality simulation and Emerilia is a world imbued with futuristic technologies to mimic early MMORPGs.

2 out of 5 stars

It's just quite dull

By
Amazon Customer
on
15-11-2018

Conquest

The Dungeon Core Gambit, Book One

By:
Antony W.F. Chow

Narrated by:
Camille DuBois

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Unabridged

Overall

3 out of 5 stars
5

Performance

3.5 out of 5 stars
5

Story

3 out of 5 stars
5

When Markos Turloch is murdered by his boss, Bobbi Nox, as revenge for whistle-blowing on his employer, he loses his humanity and is reincarnated as a diamond-like dungeon core in another world. When his dungeon helper, Jessica, comes across a dying young man being sexually tormented by a female ogre, Markos' decision to save his life becomes the turning point in Markos' new existence. Upon learning the truth of this new world as one where females dominate in both numbers and social status, Markos decides to conquer the land of Enwald and reassert male dominance as its king!

1 out of 5 stars

Author bias fails to deliver a compelling story.

By
Xravia
on
11-01-2019

Tamer: King of Dinosaurs

By:
Michael-Scott Earle

Narrated by:
Luke Daniels

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
98

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
95

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
95

Victor Shelby ends each day wondering when his life is going to get better. His parents are dead, he struggles to pay rent, and his boss at the animal control shelter has him cleaning cages instead of working in the field. His dream of helping animals seems destined to end in a mop bucket. Then, Victor is abducted by aliens and deposited on a prehistoric world filled with hungry dinosaurs and beautiful alien women. He doesn’t know why he is here or what his purpose is, but he finds himself fighting for survival.

5 out of 5 stars

Tamer king of Dinosaurs

By
John
on
08-03-2018

War Aeternus: The Beginning

By:
Joshua Swayne,
Charles Dean

Narrated by:
Jeff Hays Soundbooth Theater

Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
43

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
43

Story

5 out of 5 stars
43

Lee is a quiet and unassuming office worker who leads a life of solitude, comfort, and routine. Day in and day out, he shuts off his brain, keeps his head down, and goes about doing his job and minding his own business. That is, he does until a drunken god shows up randomly one day and whisks him off into another world, demanding that Lee serve as his pawn in a game between the gods. Now, trapped in a completely different world full of danger, magic, and creatures, Lee has to figure out how to stay alive long enough to make it back home.

3 out of 5 stars

Heavy Narration Accent

By
David
on
18-10-2018

The Last Warrior of Unigaea: Box Set

By:
Harmon Cooper

Narrated by:
Jeff Hays,
Annie Ellicott

Length: 18 hrs and 7 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
6

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
6

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
6

A crimson sky. A plague approaching. Violence on the horizon. A world in desperate need of a warrior. Oric Rune must rise to this challenge or lose everything he’s ever held dear. Joining him on his journey are his large black wolf, a mysterious female solar mage, a scholarly giant, and Sam Raid, the woman who might just hold the key to saving Unigaea.

5 out of 5 stars

The Last Warrior of Unigaea box set

By
John
on
01-09-2018

The Crystal Heart

Enthralled, Book 1

By:
Prax Venter

Narrated by:
Christian Fox

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
17

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
17

Story

4 out of 5 stars
17

Mark has big plans to further his education but is convinced by his AI assistant to join her for one day in a vividly real, and sexually themed, virtual world. However, not everything is as it seems. After Mark realizes he is reliving the same day over and over, he needs to find a way out or become trapped forever.

5 out of 5 stars

The Crystal Heart book 1 awesome

By
John
on
28-12-2018

Rogue Dungeon: A litRPG Adventure

The Rogue Dungeon, Book 1

By:
James Hunter,
eden Hudson

Narrated by:
Nick Podehl

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
16

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
14

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
14

Roark von Graf - hedge mage and lesser noble of Traisbin - is one of only a handful of Freedom fighters left, and he knows the Resistance’s days are numbered. Unless they do something drastic... But when a daring plan to unseat the Tyrant King goes awry, Roark finds himself on the run through an interdimensional portal, which strands him in a very unexpected location: an ultra-immersive fantasy video game called Hearthworld. He can’t log out, his magic is on the fritz, and, worst of all, he’s not even human.

Delvers LLC

Welcome to Ludus

By:
Blaise Corvin

Narrated by:
Jeff Hays

Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
50

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
48

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
47

Henry and Jason led normal lives in Seattle before they were abducted to another world. Their kidnapper, the vain, self-styled god Dolos, refuses to send them back unless they can accomplish an impossible task. Oddly, Dolos doesn't seem to care if they succeed or not. Luckily, Henry and Jason studied Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) on Earth. Unfortunately, a Japanese American EMT and a geeky IT programmer don't have many other useful skills on a sword-and-sorcery world like Ludus.

4 out of 5 stars

Worth a read

By
Tarcha
on
11-02-2018

Future Reborn

Future Reborn, Book 1

By:
Daniel Pierce

Narrated by:
Alexander Cendese

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
9

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
9

Story

4 out of 5 stars
9

Jack Bowman is out of luck and out of money. That is, until he gets an offer to be a part of an experiment for a major scientific research company. All he has to do is get cryogenically frozen for a few years and he'll be rich. What could go wrong? Quite a bit, as it turns out. When Jack's pod splits open and he's met by two beautiful women, he's introduced to a very different world from the one he left behind. There are warring tribes, mutated animals, actual monsters, and even ogres. With so many threats, how can anyone hope to survive?

2 out of 5 stars

Convenient and forgettable Mary Sue MC

By
Xravia
on
17-12-2018

The Bathrobe Knight: Volume 1

By:
Charles Dean

Narrated by:
Matthew Broadhead

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
18

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
18

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
18

Darwin, a video game addict, is sitting in his bathrobe and slippers playing his favorite MMO on a Christmas night when an uninvited guest breaks into his house to steal his belongings. After the scuffle is over he finds himself transported into one of the sword and magic RPG-style MMOs that he has always loved to play, albeit one he has never heard of, where he has to overcome trials and tribulations at every turn as he fights for his life alongside new companions.

5 out of 5 stars

Moo review

By
Anonymous User
on
14-11-2017

Dragon Seed

Archemi Online, Volume 1

By:
James Osiris Baldwin

Narrated by:
Justin Thomas James,
Jeff Hays,
Laurie Catherine Winkel

Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
14

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
14

Story

5 out of 5 stars
14

Before being conscripted to fight in the Total War, Private Hector Park had a shattered family, a collection of old video games, and a promising career as a motorcycle stuntman. Now, he is dying from a virus threatening humankind with extinction. He has three days to live. When Hector’s brother contacts him after years of hostile silence, Hector goes to try and make peace. But his brother has an offer even more unbelievable than reconciliation: the chance to cheat death by joining him in Archemi, a full-immersion fantasy VR-RPG video game.

Enhancer

The Enhancer Series, Book 1

By:
Wyatt Kane

Narrated by:
Chris Graves

Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
17

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
17

Story

4 out of 5 stars
17

Ty is just a normal guy trying to do his best. He’s single, stuck in a dead-end job with the most hateful boss in the universe, and struggling under a mountain of debt. When he witnesses an impossible battle between two superpowered people, every instinct he has tells him to run. Instead, he becomes the owner of a device that can change his life in ways he can barely imagine. All he has to do is survive for long enough to learn how to use it.

5 out of 5 stars

Enhancer 5 stars

By
John
on
03-10-2018

Publisher's Summary

Nineteen-year-old Ryuk Matsuzaki and his best friend Tamana decide to start over with new avatars. When Tamana is suddenly killed right in front of him in a Tokyo subway, Ryuk knows there is only one place he can search for answers -- Tritania, the world's most popular online fantasy world. Standing in his way are a mysterious guild known as the Shinigami, and his older brother, a Yakuza crime lord hell-bent on squashing his dreams. As a lowly Ballistics Mage, Ryuk must quickly recruit guild members, level up, loot and shoot his way across Tritania to discover the dark and sinister secret behind Tamana's untimely death. Joining him in his quest are a famous Swedish gamer, a powerful half-dragon half-human female assassin, and a devious ax-wielding goblin. Get started on this action-packed, coming of age LitRPG saga from the author of The Feedback Loop series now!

a fun and interesting story underneath the humor

If you are in the mood for a literary role-playing game (LitRPG) tale full of fantasy humor, snarky wit, and slapstick comedy, “Fantasy Online: Hyperborea” is the book you are looking for. This is another story authored by Harmon Cooper and the audiobook edition masterfully performed by Jeff Hays. It is the first book, in what appears will be a new series which takes place in the Proxmia universe. Because the book’s events occur in the same universe as “The Feedback Loop” series (which I highly recommend you read), a few of those characters make cameos in this story; such as Dirty Dave. I quite enjoyed the tie in and interaction having listened to the entire Feedback Loop series. As this is a separate series, one is not required to have any knowledge of the other series events, but it does make for some additional entertainment value. If you have listened to any of Harmon Cooper’s other works and enjoyed them, you will not be disappointed by picking up this one.

The book is a coming of age story centered around two battling brothers who are both a part of a crime lord’s family. This book contains a fair amount of action, adventure and fighting, both in the physical and virtual worlds. The opening scene is one that hooks you from the beginning and the story continues to unfold after that. Not only was this scene tense and action-packed, it was rather emotional and impactful. The author takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride which seems to decrease in its intensity as you progress down the tracks. I can say without a doubt, I did not feel as close to the main characters than I did at this scene. There were a few scenes containing or alluding to slight romantic aspects, but nothing that felt deep and meaningful. I really liked the characters, but I wanted to see more of their flaws and need to survive as a group; apart from times of fighting monsters together.

Compared to his other works, this book is zanier and at times feels a little over the top with its continuous flow of pokes, zings, and disses happening between characters. I like when there is tension and banter within a traveling party, but this book seemed much more light-hearted then the others were. Although there was a great and compelling story underneath, I wished at times that humor was not spread so liberally where the core story aspects felt obscured or covered. Like when someone uses to much icing on an exceptionally made cake, it can seem overly sweet and hides the part taking so much work to make; the cake itself. This is not to say that the book was bad, just based on the opening scene, I wanted more of that emotional ride throughout the book and he expense of fewer flying insults.

I will say that the world the author created was fun, interesting, and at times quite unique. He would take many of the stereotypical fantasy tropes and change them up a bit. I laughed out loud when the characters ran into some “stinkerbells” which are a combination of a fairy blended with a common house fly; more pests than helpers. The main character also wielded a very nasty and at times scary sling. Often in a book of this genre, it is all swords, shields and armor, so a sling was fun. How many of you role-playing readers would choose a sling as their weapon of choice? I also enjoyed the pokes at modern society like when the characters ordered lemon peppered sustainable farm raised dragon wings as an appetizer. Or the multiple times macaroon cookies show up which have their own use and lore in this world; you have to read the book to find out.

Jeff Hays, as usual, skillfully narrated this book and I hope he continues to be the voice of the Proxima universe. Both he and the author combine together making the audiobook edition of the story that much more fun and entertaining. Jeff’s ability to voice the many human and non-human characters, use of inflection at proper times, not overdoing the use of sound effects, and ensuring the audio is clean and crisp of anything that would distract the listener is what those familiar with his works expect. And, once again he hit all these points and more. He continues to amaze with his skill and talent in narrating audiobooks.

For parents and younger readers, be warned, this book is really intended for more mature audiences for several reasons. There is heavy use of vulgar language, there are topics involving sex, sexual innuendos, and alcohol use. The humor at times can be quite crass, often crude, or graphically intense which may not be suitable for younger readers. Even though the humor is more light-hearted and slapstick focused, much of it is geared towards adults. If the above offends you, I would not recommend this book.

In summary, if you do not mind overly used adult humor and you enjoy the LitRPG genre, I would say that you may be interested in Fantasy Online: Hyperborea. As stated earlier, there really is a fun and interesting story underneath the thick layer of humor on top. I enjoyed the story and the journey both the author and narrator took me on. However, I would have like to have had a few more deeper and developed plots pulling at my emotional side.

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Ray Johnson

08-02-2018

A wonderful Start to a WoW of a world

OK, I have to preface this by saing that Jeff Hays is a beast of a narrator, and I have come to trust his taste in which books he narrates. So, as soon as I saw he worked on it I knew it was going to be good. That is my conceit.

Of course, if all it took for me to enjoy a book was to have Jeff hays read it the world would be wonderful, however, I do require things like great characters, a plot, plausibility, and good storytelling.

Thankfully, Mr. Cooper hits all of my criteria; great charaters? Check out the goblin. plot? How about problems in the real world and VR game? plausibility? This isn't one of those books that touts how great the MMO is, nd is sweeping the world, while if you look at the mechanics you realize it would never work. Storytelling? Zonk! Bam! Check out the ending. It is out of left field, on fire, and moving at the speed of light. You will loe this book and crave more. The only problem that I have is that I have to wait for book 2 to come out.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Joe

18-10-2017

Great 1st book in the series

The book takes place in the same location as the third book in the Feedback series. It seems to take place in the future after Quantum Hughes. In the real world they are located in Japan. The book has a great story that moves along at a great pace and a good length. The characters are very likable and although very different, blend well together. There is a lot of LitRPG elements to this book and they dont get in the way or are overdone. The narrator is great although I thought the reading was a little slow for my taste and I listened to the book at 1.5x speed. He gives each character their own voice and it fits well with them. The narration really adds to the story. Really enjoying Jeff Hays narration.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Amazon Customer

12-09-2017

A total blast!

Pure and simple fun is the first thought that springs to mind when I think of Fantasy Online. The second thought? Wow!! What an ending! (did not see that coming at all!) This book has awesome characters and great stories. Yes, stories, as in more than one. While they are indeed interconnected there are two separate storylines playing out in this book. One happening in the online world and one in the real world, and both are engaging. Great cast of characters, with Hiccup, the comic relief goblin, definitely being the most memorable. Seriously can't wait to see what comes next.

The book is narrated by the talented Jeff Hays, and as he almost always does he totally nailed it. He doesn't just read the story, he performs the story, completely becoming the various characters, breathing life into each of them via unique vocals and inflection for each of the characters. Definitely one of my favorite narrators recording today.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

G T.

16-04-2018

instakill

the story is good, well rounded within the litrpg genre. however the "instakill" announcements were a shock and almost deafened me

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

4 out of 5 stars

ecocat

23-10-2017

Entertaining and Humorous

Hyperborea begins with Ryuk and Tamara resetting their online game avatars to restart to different characters. The only problem is that Tamara gets killed in the real world, which looks like a suicide. The only place that Ryuk could do was to go into Hyperborea and find Tamara, but only to discover that she has been kidnapped in the online world of Hyperborea.

With the goblin, Hiccup and the Swedish aka, FeeTwix, Ryuk set off to rescue Tamara. Hiccup is just a comical character. I just love some of the stuff that he does and says.

There was no surprise for me as to who is the aviator that kidnapped Tamara. The only thing is why and for what purpose. I hope the second book will shed more light into this mystery.

In the real world, Ryuk is dealing with his older brother, who seemed to be a bully and authoritative, controlled freak. There isn't much surprise especially Ryuk's brother is the head of the Yakuza. It does explain why Ryuk is being ordered around and why Ryuk spend so much time with Tamara in the online world.

Hyperborea is a beginning of a series where the online characters are trying to break into the real world. Something sinister is at work here. There are a few surprises of where the a handful of characters of Unigaea showed up in Hyperborea. Nothing can be so unpredictable as to the ending. It will be a surprise to anyone who listen/read this book.

The narrator, Jeff Hays will be one of the narrators I would like to listen again. I love his voices for Hiccup, FeeTwix, Ryuk's bodyguard, and the other characters. Each characters has an unique voices.

I was given this audiobook by the author. I have volunteered to write an unbiased review for this book. I was not influenced or compensated in anyway for writing this review.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Joel seibert

02-10-2017

Fickin awesome

Ryuk Matsuzaki and his best friend Tamana decide to start over with new avatars. When Tamana is suddenly killed right in front of him in a Tokyo subway, Ryuk knows there is only one place he can search for answers –Tritania, the world’s most popular online fantasy world. Standing in his way are a mysterious guild known as the Shinigami, and his older brother, a Yakuza crime lord hell-bent on squashing his dreams.

As a lowly Ballistics Mage, Ryuk must quickly recruit guild members, level up, loot and shoot his way across Tritania to discover the dark and sinister secret behind Tamana’s untimely death. Joining him in his quest are a famous Swedish gamer, a powerful half-dragon half-human female assassin, and a devious ax-wielding goblin. Now I have a deep love of the feedback loop,if your a fan you'll find these guys back in it ...Jim the hostelier (known as Jim the doorman in the Loop series), Croc, Cid the Bartender, and Dirty Dave. There's more that are mentioned.well basically I fell in love with this story and the characters right from the beginning it's shoot fickin chocolate milk out your nose hilarious but also very dark and serious and always filled with nonstop action . So much love and depth are in this one ! For ficks sake the man created an entire world with separate continents ! Each with their own history and religion,even their own governments! Harmon created the thealian language just for the book ! I can't imagine anyone but Jeff reading Harmons books he brings a breath of life to the characters and hiccup is exactly as I imagined him

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Mary Karowski

29-08-2017

The litrpg series is takes a great turn

This series is truly amazing. Any fans of D&D will love this series. It can be picked up anywhere and enjoyed immensely. This particular chapter will bring back some crossover characters from other stories. Will introduce you to hiccup the goblin and his awful antics. A plot to murder gamers will be revealed. The heroes must find out who is behind it and why while trying to survive. Enjoy this amazing chapter in the series. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

3 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

2 out of 5 stars

Bikram Agarwal

10-08-2017

Not as good as feedback loop

What did you like best about Fantasy Online: Hyperborea? What did you like least?

I liked that the book is based on Tritania, the fantasy world from the 3rd Feedback Loop book. All the references to that series made me giddy. But apart from that, I didn't quite connect with Ryuk and Tamana in this book, the way I had connected with Quantum and Frances in Feedback Loop. Ryuk was missing the swag Quantum had. I didn't care much about what happened to Tamana either.

What was most disappointing about Harmon Cooper’s story?

This is the fourth LitRPG book authored by Harmon Cooper that I'm reading. I had liked the first three. But by this fourth time, I guess things are feeling a little repetitive. There are Japanese characters this time around, but that didn't quite take it to a whole different level.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Hays’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to the 3 feedback loop books before and Jeff's performance in this book is as good as ever. He does awesome voice acting for all of the characters and never disappoints.

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook for free from the author / narrator / publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Handsome Nate

08-08-2017

Engrossing story and amazing Narration

First let me say that Jeff Hays is the man. His voice work is incredible and never loses his character and never leaves you wondering who is speaking. Lots of great production with this book and couldn't stop myself from finding any excuse to put my headphones in to listen to what was going to happen next. Harmon Cooper's writing in this book in engrossing and a lot of fun. I cannot wait to go back and relisten to the Feedback Loop series of his with the character references. Can't wait for book two to come. Again, kudos to Hayes and Cooper who are on top of the LitRPG game with this one!

I was provided a free copy of this audiobook by the publisher and/or author in exchange for a fair unbiased review via audiobook boom.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sort by:

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

3 out of 5 stars

Kristopher Eccles

17-11-2018

Has potential

It is by no means as good as life reset but it has potential I found the book short and full of pointless filler I sewer about an hour of this book alone is stats and in some litrpgs they are useful in this book not so much most of them are pretty meaningless and tedious to listen too.

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

4 out of 5 stars

Dingo 883

16-11-2018

Such an awesome series

You might remember me as the guy who accidentally listened to the third book first and threw a Hiccup-size tantrum upon realizing it. After listening to two other books (one of them DEEPLY disappointing) I went back to book one and I'm glad I did. Big surprise, the plot makes so much more sense now so ignore any reference to that in my book 3 review. The characters are so good I'm not even mad anymore about skipping to the end. It's still great to listen to their banter even if I already know how it will end. Honestly, the story and plot aren't that important. Harmon's characters and Jeff's fantastic voices carry the whole thing to the finish line while leaving all the other contenders sucking their dust. Fick yeah!

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

3 out of 5 stars

Amazon Customer

03-05-2018

No need for all the stats...but story is enjoyable

sense of humour reminds me of blood bowl books. Story is engaging but too much reading and repeating stats. I would have preferred it if instead of reading all the stats just say character level. the amount of times they were read out in full each time had me wanting to skip thus and next book. at times it felt like 2 - 3 mins of just reading stats.out.

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Scott R

29-09-2017

Excellent example of LitRPG

The LitRPG world is coming to life more and more wirh varied examples, and im not a massive fan of this type. The stats can be lost and fogotten almost as quick as rhey are said but the brillance of the characters and their development makes this a worthwhile buy. listening to the various effects performed by Jeff Hays does credir to Harmon Coopers job here. As a fan of his Feedback series i wasnt too sure but it seems a good writer can write almost anything. A very good writer can make even a dubious proposition come alive and make a fan of me. The genre would be a poor substitute without the real life action outside the game and without 2 characters the excellent hoblin Hiccup and the live feed, advert pushing swede which gives many options to the usual stories. The humour helps a lot especially on audio but will probably mean you either love it or hate it attitude as the humour is very zany and childish. For me in a fan and also bit of a child so im happy to go back again.This audio was gifted to me and i have left an honest review and as such is my own opinion.

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Norma Miles

25-10-2017

Won't you come inside?

Ryuk's real life In Tokyo is not a happy one. He is bullied by his older brother, a yazuka boss, and he fears that his one friend and gaming companion does not return the growing love that he feels for her. When she dies by throwing herself in front of an underground train shortly after they have both logged out of the Proxima world of Tritania, Ryuk returns there to find her in the still surviving form of a Reborn Player Character. But she's gone: she has been kidnapped. But why, and by whom? With the help of a potty mouthed goblin, Hiccup, and a Swedish online advertising hero, FeeTwix, Ryuk goes in search of Tamina, his dear friend, determined to bring her back.

But far more is happening because Tamina's death had not been a suicide and to solve that riddle, the newly forming guild will have to rise quickly through the levels to travel from the continent of Hyperborea to others accessible only to higher level players. And meanwhile, in real life Japan, Ryuk's brother is continues to expand his desire for total control.

This is a fabulous book, filled with great characters and dialogue as well as a good, original storyline and ever increasing fast, full and very visual action as the book progresses to the spectacular and unexpected ending. Frequently very funny, it is also thought provoking, too. .Add in the superb narration by Jeff Hays who brings the protagonists fully to life with his individual performances for each one within the well paced and emotionally charged text reading, this is an audiobook not to be missed. It doesn't matter if you are not a gamer, give this story a try: you won't be disappointed.